CONTENT - Our Own Squid Game
Should Bystanders Punch the Bad Guy or Press the RECORD Button? A New Temptation For Failing Those In Need.
Lately, we have been hearing horrible stories about violent incidents where bystanders have been seen recording with their iPhones, instead of helping victims or even calling 911. In the search for answers, many in the media seem to have overlooked a key motivation driving this new crop of disturbingly bad Samaritans.
The most common theories explaining why many people fail to take action in violent situations are: 1) They fear for their lives. 2) They’ve been conditioned to be apathetic stiffs as a result of years of passively absorbing violent entertainment. 3) The nation’s current frenzy over personal safety could also be a contributing factor. In a world where safety has almost become a religion, it’s easy for individuals to justify not doing anything which jeopardizes their own sacred security.
These are all reasonable explanations, but I believe there is yet *one more* driving force to the equation. Unlike the others, this motivation has a maleficent aspect to it that few have considered. This fourth reason is the desperate desire to video record a violent event for profit, with the belief that calling 911 would interrupt the recording process, thus destroying the critical continuity of the valuable footage.
In order to explain my theory, I first need to go back to the infancy of viral video. A good place to start is in Japan some forty years ago, where the love of the camcorder, mixed with a very dense population, resulted in a flood of funny video clips. In the mid 80’s, as an outlet for these scenes, a Japanese television show called “Fun TV” introduced a segment featuring amateurish home videos. The wildly positive reaction to the videos spurred an American knockoff called “America’s Funniest Home Videos”. In no time, Americans began using their bulky camcorders to submit clips of cute and hilarious scenes, populated by mostly family members and/or pets. In no time, AFV was a huge hit. It didn’t take long until the show began pushing the envelope by airing clips of people involved in harsher accidents. As long as no one was seriously hurt, the producers continued to air the footage. Of course, the ever present sound effects and laugh track worked well at transforming borderline misfortune into lighthearted entertainment.
It is surprising that psychologists didn’t come out at that point to warn the public about the potentially harmful ramifications of laughing at people being shaken, rattled, and rolled, but as far as I know there was little push-back. For most viewers, this was just good clean fun. AFV also introduced the concept of offering big rewards for those who shot the most hilarious footage. So, not only was AFV a home video outlet, but a game show to boot!
In those days, I was barely making ends meet working as a wedding videographer. In my desperation for extra cash, I fell for the idea of hitting it big on AFV. I soon began frequenting zoos and other public venues, with the sole intention of capturing *little accidents*, which I could then submit to the TV show for a shot at the glorious prize money. During one of my excursions, I recorded a child harmlessly flipping over a low rail and into a rabbit enclosure. Satisfied to have captured something amusing, a thought flashed through my mind. Perhaps if I had not been holding the camera, I could have reached out and saved the little boy from the fall. Though even his parents had laughed it off, how would I have felt had he been hurt? Feeling a tinge of guilt, I buried the self-scrutiny, because there were bills to pay and big money to be made.
In the end, AFV rejected my clip, along with a few others I had submitted. Winning on AFV turned out to be much harder than I had thought. Then came word that news stations were actually paying amateurs for dramatic news video. In the back of my mind, a desire grew to be the first on the scene of an accident with camera in hand. I didn’t act on the desire until April 29, 1992, when the Los Angeles riots broke out. While watching the mayhem unfold on TV, I eagerly packed my equipment with the plan of driving into South Central LA, where I would capture violent footage and then sell it to the local stations. Thankfully, my wise and worried wife talked me out of going. Little did I know, but I was being led down a wayward path of negativity. What had started out as an AFV hobby, had morphed into real and unnecessary danger. I’m grateful to this day that a caring person with proper perspective snapped me out of my easy-money trance. For many others, though, this was not the case.
Once cable TV came along, more funny-video productions hit the tube, but this time they featured scenes where people were obviously getting injured. Seeing through the annoying laugh track and goofy sound effects, I was appalled. Few viewers complained, and so the practice continued unabated. Sadly, America’s preoccupation with laughing at folks getting hurt became a normal part of this new fad, soon to be called “Reality TV”. Citizens were slowly being conditioned not to be alarmed at the serious misfortunes of others, and few foresaw the ramifications of such negative conditioning.
Next came the internet and the advent of viral videos. Back then, posting a video clip that thousands wanted to see was a thrill for videographers. They enjoyed a little notoriety and that was pretty much all they got in return. It wasn’t until word spread about people being *paid* on YouTube for viral videos that things took a dramatic turn. Soon, the public began hearing about average citizens actually living off proceeds from their homegrown videos, with some creators even bragging online about their now effortless and lavish lives.
Like a deep quake, this news produced a massive groundswell of excitement among the younger generation; many of whom now carried video-equipped iPhones. With tens of thousands of people eagerly capturing millions of hours of footage, a vast collection of intriguing material quickly saturated the web. Going viral had now evolved into a huge business, run by mega internet giants, and supported by massive advertising dollars. In truth, the market for content-rich videos created what could be seen as a modern day gold rush!
There is much we can learn from our past get-rich-quick fiascos. During the actual gold rushes in California and Alaska, news spread quickly about prospectors stumbling upon huge nuggets simply laying on the ground. Upon hearing these tales, thousands gave up jobs, family, and property in order to have a shot at wealth. In the end, very few were actually able to cash-in on the gold rushes, and many gave up their lives trying. Sadly, there is no expiration date on the flaws of human nature, and so, greed and thoughtless behavior are still common to this day.
The *video-clip gold rush* of the 2020’s, does not require arduous travel to distant mines, but instead, simple web navigation to video sharing outlets like YouTube or TikTok. In truth, those who submit the right video at the right time can attract *millions* of clicks and followers, which translate into prestigious awards, prizes, notoriety, and most importantly, cold hard cash!
My observation is that many smartphone carrying Americans are keenly aware of the hungry world market for entertaining video content. For those in the know, *content* is everything. It is the golden nugget, just begging to be picked up, and it can be found most anywhere people congregate. If you happen to stumble upon some glittering content and train your camera on the unfolding action, you have a shot at winning big. For many younger people, the content craze is just as exciting as playing a video game. After all, who wouldn’t choose to play games over the relative drudgery of a nine-to-five job? The actual key to such fun and freedom is finding and uploading as much electrifying content as possible.
As portrayed in the classic movie “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”, promises of riches are known to turn civil upstanding people into evil greedy monsters. Many folks would sell their very souls for a real chance at wealth, and as a result of these new high-tech temptations, we are currently witnessing some dreadful changes to society. Content collecting is much like AFV on steroids, and the trend is not about to let up anytime soon.
If you look at the social pressure people are under to flaunt their lives like the popular internet influencers they admire, you might understand why a movie like “Squid Game” broke so many records. More and more people feel desperate to have it all, regardless of who they have to hurt or betray. With the advent of content opportunities which give one the exhilarating feeling of participating in a larger-than-life competition, many have gone *all in* by recording fights, arson, robberies, and so on, despite the fact that their clicks and list of followers increase at the expense of helpless victims. Though I played this game on a smaller scale, I got to know just how much of a driving force these temptations can be for ignoring the needs of strangers. Back then, I regarded the falling child as less of a little boy than a golden ticket to wealth!
With the unquenchable hunger out there for shocking video, social media has opted to tempt society with an irresistible golden carrot, much like Squid Game’s dangling ball of cash. As a result, many people are now tempted to *run* to the prospect of danger and action, just as I was with the LA riots. We’ve all seen proof of this mentality by the swarms of glowing phones thrust above the crowds during the fiery unrest in 2021. Granted, some dramatic scenes were captured, but at what expense?
All the while, the major video outlets continue to thrive in the safety of their offices, with the luxury of sitting back as *content* simply pours-in like an avalanche of entertainment gold. Good content feeds both viewers and advertisers, and it’s the ads that generate the cash to fill the big ball of temptation.
So, if you’re wondering how can someone dare to capture images of innocent people being abused, the answer is that those who are most devoted to content collecting have learned to harden their hearts, as if marching in lockstep to the motto,”The more licks, the more clicks!” They are well aware of the evil they are perpetuating, but have convinced themselves that the suffering of others is the price that needs to be paid for the opportunity to win the all powerful *content game*.
Only recently has the ugly downside of this game floated to the surface for all to see. The voyeuristic desire driving the market for scenes of people being beaten has begun to ware out, and so a taste for even more shocking footage has developed. It’s only natural that rape would become the next step in this malevolent progression, and though no public outlet would dare show such footage, I have no doubt there is a dark market for such material. Consequently, there now appears to be a willingness in some to sacrifice the lives of innocent people at the alter of the content gods. Actual suffering is now being sucked into smartphones and served-up in order to quench the appetites of perverted adrenaline junkies! This is a new and thriving field that we all need to discuss, deliberate, and hopefully regulate before more and more innocents experience the horrors undergoing assault, without help from capable bystanders who instead focus on aiming their useless cellphones.
Up until modern times, when your average person witnessed an assault taking place, the first thing that came to mind was “I have to save this poor person.” But now, witnesses are presented with *two* choices. Either they jump-in and get their hands dirty, or become a *contestant* in the exciting content-for-cash game, where the first player to upload brutal action is more apt to gain the bigger share of the prize money. It’s a race, you see! There is no time for saving lives. The game requires your full devotion. Forget your morals. Shoot and upload like your life depended upon it. If you want to care for victims, care *later* after you are showered in cash and prizes!
Apparently for many, the pitch I posed above makes for a reasonable rational. *This* is what is happening to once helpful people on the streets. They want the gold and want it more than their desire to be seen as caring people. With more and more bystanders choosing content-capturing over the desperate cries of victims, our future looks bleak indeed.
It’s a shame to see people displaying such weakness, but desire for wealth-and-self often outweighs the desire for a clean conscious. Yes, the golden ball of goodies from the content game is ever present in the minds of millions of smartphone carriers. Hopefully, if any one of them is ever knocked to the ground by a knife-wielding maniac, some passer-by who happens to have a *heart* of gold, and the maturity to reject fame and fortune, will push aside those fumbling for the record button, and demonstrate with courage and selflessness the difference between noble human beings and greedy barbaric animals.